iPhone 4 deconstructed; antenna design a “work of genius”

iFixit has given the iPhone 4 its usual complete teardown treatment, two days …

What do you do when Apple ships a new device two days early to one of your friends? If you're iFixit, you persuade them to let you strip it down into pieces and parts. iFixit's in-depth teardown doesn't hold many big surprises after an early prototype leaked to the Web, but it did reveal several fascinating details.

The two screws at the bottom of the device release the back panel of the iPhone 4; on previous models, these released the front display assembly. The bad news is that this makes replacing the display a little more challenging, and the display and touch panel are all glued to the front glass, so it's a total module replacement if the glass does break. The good news is that it's very easy to get to the "huge" Li-ion battery inside. It's also not soldered to the logic board, so it's relatively easy to replace despite an "Authorized Service Provider Only" warning.

iFixit describes Apple's engineering of the wireless antennas into the stainless steel frame and bezel of the phone as a "work of genius." The antenna design should improve reception, especially for those on the edges of coverage areas. Furthermore, Apple has reportedly fine-tuned how the iPhone chooses an open channel. It will "utilize whichever network band is less congested or has the least interference for the best signal quality, regardless of the actual signal strength." According to iFixit, it should improve reliability on AT&T's network.

We already know that the iPhone 4 is powered by the Apple A4 processor, just like the iPad, and iFixit confirms that it has 512MB of RAM compared to the iPad's 256MB. As we noted previously, this should improve performance for multitasking, caching webpages, and running apps with high-resolution graphics. iFixit contends that the A4 processor is running at 1GHz, like the iPad, though some early benchmarks suggest that it might actually be running slower—more like 800MHz. The benchmarks aren't conclusive, though; until there is a reliable benchmark that can run on all three devices, the jury is still out on this one.

iFixit also identified the major suppliers for the chips on the iPhone 4 logic board, including: Skyworks cell radios, Broadcom WLAN and GPS, STMicro accelerometer and gyroscope (iFixit says Apple is the first to have access to STMicro's gyroscope chip), a TRiQuint GSM chip, Samsung flash memory, Apple-branded Cirrus Logic audio codec, TI touchscreen controller, and Numonyx RAM. Many of these parts are similar to those used in the iPad or previous iPhones, so no major surprises here.

One last intriguing detail is that Apple is using an aluminum-based ceramic glass for the front cover (and believed to be used for the back cover as well). Identified as Corning Gorilla Glass, it is considered ideal for touchscreen devices because of its strength, light weight, and resistance to scratching or damage. iFixit notes that the material is supposedly 20 times stiffer and 30 times stronger than polycarbonates (material data sheet).

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War Stories | Ultima Online: The virtual ecology

When creating Ultima Online, Richard Garriott had grand dreams. He and Starr Long planned on implementing a virtual ecology into their massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It was an ambitious system, one that would have cows that graze and predators that eat herbivores. However, once the game went live a small problem had arisen...

War Stories | Ultima Online: The virtual ecology

War Stories | Ultima Online: The virtual ecology

When creating Ultima Online, Richard Garriott had grand dreams. He and Starr Long planned on implementing a virtual ecology into their massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It was an ambitious system, one that would have cows that graze and predators that eat herbivores. However, once the game went live a small problem had arisen...

182 Reader Comments

I think I'll stick to information from people who already have a reputation for honest reporting over some random dude on the interwebs.

If you wish, feel free to keep only listening to articles that back up the train of thought you already have to help reinforce it without listening to those who actually own and use the device on a day to day basis.

This isn't a question of one or two reviewers mentioning battery life as a problem. Every single review I've seen has featured EVO's battery life shortcomings.

Quote:

The Wi-Fi hot spot business is slick. With a couple of taps, you can turn the Evo’s cellular Internet signal into a Wi-Fi hot spot. Now nearby laptops, game machines and even other smartphones can get online wirelessly through it. It’d be great on long car rides, slow-moving movie shoots and camping trips for those who can’t let go of their technology.

Actually, make that “short car rides,” “brief movie shoots” and “afternoon camping trips,” because this feature eats through a full battery charge in as little as one hour. (More on the Evo’s amazing disappearing battery in a moment.)

Quote:

If you charge this phone all night long, then leave the house at 8 a.m., you’ll find its battery charge at 50 percent by early afternoon, even if you don’t make a single call or send a single e-mail message. By quitting time, or dinner time if you’re lucky, it’s completely dead. On this phone, the battery gauge practically shrivels as you’re looking at it.

When your phone's battery can't manage to go all day under even minimal use, that's some FAIL, right there.

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

Coming from a Palm Pre on Sprint I'm glad I couldn't wait and bought an Evo as the specs on the new iPhone while amazing aren't all that much better than the Evo. I don't feel screwed that I didn't wait to get an iPhone instead. This feeling is rare in buying technology these days.

Which means Apple is going to be sucking more than your blood (now now, no need for the dirty thoughts) at Apple prices when you accidentally damage your screen.

Hooray! 'Case you ever have an accident with your shiny closed up phone, take out your wallets, bend over and let Apple do you all over again (first time was when you bought the phone or any other Apple product) !

My beloved his and her iphone 4G's are in Texas as of yesterday,and in route to good ol Modesto California today at,or before 4:30pm Pacific, and after seeing this sickening deconstruction of a masterpiece worthy of a Leonardo collate, I am relieved.

Which means Apple is going to be sucking more than your blood (now now, no need for the dirty thoughts) at Apple prices when you accidentally damage your screen.

Hooray! 'Case you ever have an accident with your shiny closed up phone, take out your wallets, bend over and let Apple do you all over again (first time was when you bought the phone or any other Apple product) !

I'm not worried. My iPhone is the first phone I've ever had (ever) that actually made it all the way through a 2 year contract period, in spite of dropping it several times, and even having it accidentally chucked across the room by a friend. I'm looking at you Motorola and Samsung...

I can't wait for them to test the durability of the screen. My phone is being delivered today but I don't know whether I should get a screen protector or not. I like the idea of not needing to protect the phone.

This isn't a question of one or two reviewers mentioning battery life as a problem. Every single review I've seen has featured EVO's battery life shortcomings.

Quote:

The Wi-Fi hot spot business is slick. With a couple of taps, you can turn the Evo’s cellular Internet signal into a Wi-Fi hot spot. Now nearby laptops, game machines and even other smartphones can get online wirelessly through it. It’d be great on long car rides, slow-moving movie shoots and camping trips for those who can’t let go of their technology.

Actually, make that “short car rides,” “brief movie shoots” and “afternoon camping trips,” because this feature eats through a full battery charge in as little as one hour. (More on the Evo’s amazing disappearing battery in a moment.)

Quote:

If you charge this phone all night long, then leave the house at 8 a.m., you’ll find its battery charge at 50 percent by early afternoon, even if you don’t make a single call or send a single e-mail message. By quitting time, or dinner time if you’re lucky, it’s completely dead. On this phone, the battery gauge practically shrivels as you’re looking at it.

When your phone's battery can't manage to go all day under even minimal use, that's some FAIL, right there.

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

I can't wait for them to test the durability of the screen. My phone is being delivered today but I don't know whether I should get a screen protector or not. I like the idea of not needing to protect the phone.

Lots of people have managed to crack the screen by dropping it just right. I don't know that a screen protector would help that part; you'd need a case to help with that.

I've used my 1st gen iPhone without a screen protector. There is exactly one pretty inconspicuous scratch on it. I usually keep the phone in my pocket without any other items like keys, coins, etc. and I find that it actually cleans the screen.

Get a case for travel needs or putting into a bag.Use it without a screen protector and keep in pocket.Rain/snow/extreme cold I have no experience with.

I can't wait for them to test the durability of the screen. My phone is being delivered today but I don't know whether I should get a screen protector or not. I like the idea of not needing to protect the phone.

Lots of people have managed to crack the screen by dropping it just right. I don't know that a screen protector would help that part; you'd need a case to help with that.

The gorilla glass screen will probably put a dent (pun intended) in the number of screen breakage incidents.

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

My 3g still lasts all day, after almost 2 years.

Yea. I'm almost 2 years in and the thing still goes almost 32-40 hours of regular use without a charge. That's even with me listening to music or playing Canabalt on my 15-30 minute morning and evening commutes.

Which means Apple is going to be sucking more than your blood (now now, no need for the dirty thoughts) at Apple prices when you accidentally damage your screen.

While all the other phones have replacement screens sitting in blister-pacs at Radio Shack? I didn't think so.

Quote:

Hooray! 'Case you ever have an accident with your shiny closed up phone, take out your wallets, bend over and let Apple do you all over again (first time was when you bought the phone or any other Apple product) !

If you wish, feel free to keep only listening to articles that back up the train of thought you already have to help reinforce it without listening to those who actually own and use the device on a day to day basis

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

My 3g still lasts all day, after almost 2 years.

My original iPhone will run 4 hours continuously, or be at 30% after a full day (15 hours) at work and play.From the Engadget review it sounds like the iPhone 4 will last 38 hours of work and play, which coincides with the estimate of 6 hours continuous use (30% after 24 hours)

I can't wait for them to test the durability of the screen. My phone is being delivered today but I don't know whether I should get a screen protector or not. I like the idea of not needing to protect the phone.

Lots of people have managed to crack the screen by dropping it just right. I don't know that a screen protector would help that part; you'd need a case to help with that.

I've used my 1st gen iPhone without a screen protector. There is exactly one pretty inconspicuous scratch on it. I usually keep the phone in my pocket without any other items like keys, coins, etc. and I find that it actually cleans the screen.

Get a case for travel needs or putting into a bag.Use it without a screen protector and keep in pocket.Rain/snow/extreme cold I have no experience with.

The screen popping issue is a good point but I'll take my chances. As for normal dents, I would rather get the dent and afterwards put a cover on top. I always used a screen protector though. As much as I try to keep the phone by itself in my pocket, I never know when my wife will try to empty her purse into my pockets when she doesn't want to carry it around

I was a previous iphone owner and the battery barely last the whole day. I hear Pandora all day, online on the messenger all day too talking to wife and friends, and browse the internet on my breaks while working. Got an Evo couple of weeks ago and it last the whole day without needing to charge it. Yes, I have to charge it when I am going to sleep, but that even better than my previous iphone. The biggest difference is the screen size. I really enjoy the internet on a bigger screen. The new iPhone looks great except for the screen size.

This is the best looking cell phone I've ever seen. My older brother should be getting his tomorrow so I'll have a chance to check it out in person soon.

Personally, I'll never go back to ATT no matter what phone is available. Right now I have a Pre from Sprint which kind of sucks because I like WebOS but hate the Pre hardware. Also now that Palm is in some kinda crazy acquisition limbo it means they won't be able to release new hardware or software updates for a while or maybe ever.

Oh well I can't complain too much since I'm only paying $35/month for this thing and it works. I might consider a EVO since I live in a 4G area, I dunno. Kinda waiting on the Ars review.

I too am curious about the screen. I've gone about six months without a protector on my 3g screen and put a slight scratch on it that is very inconspicuous but enough to think about protection again on this phone. However, all this talk about glass strength is working to change my mind and think that a bumper might be enough as long as I keep it in it's own pocket.

It's such a hard decision considering how expensive the phone hardware is if it does get scratched.

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

My 3g still lasts all day, after almost 2 years.

My original iPhone will run 4 hours continuously, or be at 30% after a full day (15 hours) at work and play.From the Engadget review it sounds like the iPhone 4 will last 38 hours of work and play, which coincides with the estimate of 6 hours continuous use (30% after 24 hours)

Reviews for the Incredible listed its battery life nearly as bad as EVO reviews did. I get around 6-7 hours streaming Pandora on mine. Using the music on my phone I get an estimated 40 hours (longest I've run it is 8 hours, it used around 20% of battery). I think the point is, battery life reviews aren't always the most accurate evaluations. My mother's iPhone 3g gets around 45 minutes for continuous use and only around 12 hours idle. It was much better than that when it was new though.

Quote from who? And by the way, how long does that iPhone 3g last? Oh yeah...not long...

My 3g still lasts all day, after almost 2 years.

Yea. I'm almost 2 years in and the thing still goes almost 32-40 hours of regular use without a charge. That's even with me listening to music or playing Canabalt on my 15-30 minute morning and evening commutes.

See - your iPhone lasts longer than the reviews say it does. They say 6 hours. Heck, the iPhone spec itself says 6 hours. This is why I'll believe an actual user testimonial over a reviewer who had the phone for a weekend. The point holds for the EVO too. I read the reviews which didn't scare me and I'm sure glad they didn't because the EVO rocks and the battery lasts all day in heavy usage.

You're doing it wrong. There are only three acceptable ways to deal with telemarketer calls, and none should involve any stress on your part.

1 - Polite. Once you've determine they are, in fact, a telemarketer, let them finish their sentence, then politely tell them no thanks and hang up. Bonus points if you first ask them to remove you from their list and not to call you again.

2 - Not polite. Once you've determine they are, in fact, a telemarketer, simply hang up without saying a word.

3 - Troll. Put them on hold for ten minutes, make bathroom noises, ask them if they've found Jesus, etc. etc.

I was a previous iphone owner and the battery barely last the whole day. I hear Pandora all day, online on the messenger all day too talking to wife and friends, and browse the internet on my breaks while working. Got an Evo couple of weeks ago and it last the whole day without needing to charge it. Yes, I have to charge it when I am going to sleep, but that even better than my previous iphone. The biggest difference is the screen size. I really enjoy the internet on a bigger screen. The new iPhone looks great except for the screen size.

There is this take on EVO battery life over at TechCrunch:

Quote:

...the battery life isn’t just bad, it’s 90′s laptop bad. You need to be near a power source at all times.

I’m an Android Fanboy, and I’m telling you not to buy this device. The battery life is abysmal – MobileCrunch calls it a “dealbreaker” and I agree. Yes you can do a few things to get a little extra time out of it, but this device routinely runs out of power while sitting on standby overnight next to my bed. You aren’t just charging this once a day. Or twice a day. You need to be thinking about your next power fix just about any time you are using it. I keep chargers at home, in my office, in my car, and an extra one to suck power from my laptop. That keeps it going, but it isn’t fun.

The iPhone that is on sale today completely spanks the battery life of the EVO on sale today.

The iPhone G4 also has a higher screen resolution than the EVO so you can see more web content at once without scrolling.

See here for a high resolution (5616 x 3744) photo showing the iPhone displaying readable text even when the NY Times website is zoomed out:

I have to agree with Janne's post, I was a many-years WinMobile user (since 2000 actually), but I had been following QualComm's development of it's SNAPDRAGON platform since 2007/2008 - and lo and behold, Google (correct me if i'm wrong) was the first who told HTC to put one in with Android OS. and i felt like the infamous "Heureka" with 'angel-choir Hollywood style' in the background, when i got my NexusOne booted up!It' was for me like doors opened - not doors, big frigging barn gates! (in terms of what Android can do on a decent HW plattform regarding options/openness)

And yet sadly my Nexus One is still painful to use in comparison to the iPhone 3G (not even S) that I had before it. Honestly the NexusOne was the device that made me truly believe that a pim device cannot be chosen based on specs. Can't wait to be able to get a hold of the iPhone 4.

1-The iPhone G4 also has a higher screen resolution than the EVO so you can see more web content at once without scrolling.

2-See here for a high resolution (5616 x 3744) photo showing the iPhone displaying readable text even when the NY Times website is zoomed out:

...

Scoble's take? "The screen is the best one I’ve seen — by far."

1- there is no iPhone 4G ok!? NO 4G NO 4Gyou guys just cant seem to cooperate with reality, hey ! wake UP ! the new iPhone IS DEFINITELY NOT a 4G phone.

2- NO, higher resolution is good but ONLY if there is enough screen to take advantage of it, in simpler worlds, the screen size must rhyme very well with the resolution.a 1920x1200 1inch screen is useless and so is a 300x240 10 inches screen.

yes, the iPhone's screen got the biggest resolution, but whether it is better than the Evos slightly lower resolution coupled with a MUCH bigger screen is a matter of debate.i personally see the more pixels on the iPhone's screen as useless since the screen is tiny.

if the iPhone's screen was as big as the Evo's with the higher resolution, then, and only then it would have been a killer feature.

The screen glass and back cover are not an aluminum based glass ceramic, as implied in the article. It's just a better grade of aluminosilicate glass. Glass ceramic is a real material (old Corningware cookware was made of it), but this isn't it. Aluminosilicate is used for most LCD substrates, along with certain types of halogen lamps (mostly because it is a whole lot cheaper than fused quartz). If you want Star Trek type transparent aluminum, then you want either monocrystalline alumina (sapphire) or submicron polycrystalline alumina (which is being developed for metal halide arc tubes).

1-The iPhone G4 also has a higher screen resolution than the EVO so you can see more web content at once without scrolling.

2-See here for a high resolution (5616 x 3744) photo showing the iPhone displaying readable text even when the NY Times website is zoomed out:

...

Scoble's take? "The screen is the best one I’ve seen — by far."

1- there is no iPhone 4G ok!? NO 4G NO 4Gyou guys just cant seem to cooperate with reality, hey ! wake UP ! the new iPhone IS DEFINITELY NOT a 4G phone.

2- NO, higher resolution is good but ONLY if there is enough screen to take advantage of it, in simpler worlds, the screen size must rhyme very well with the resolution.a 1920x1200 1inch screen is useless and so is a 300x240 10 inches screen.

yes, the iPhone's screen got the biggest resolution, but whether it is better than the Evos slightly lower resolution coupled with a MUCH bigger screen is a matter of debate.i personally see the more pixels on the iPhone's screen as useless since the screen is tiny.

if the iPhone's screen was as big as the Evo's with the higher resolution, then, and only then it would have been a killer feature.

Agree, the new iPhone looks grea, but the screen size compared to the Evo doesn't give the iPhone any advantage over the Evo. It is a nice upgrade from the iPhone 3G, that's all.